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This lesson plan is the first of a two-part series for grades 3-5 on the topic of simple machines. It is designed to develop student understanding of the interactive nature of parts in a system. Students work cooperatively to explore a variety of simple machines and discover how they are broken down into interactive parts. Three related activities are accessed online, and would extend the lesson to 3 days. A shorter lesson can be done without the need for computer access. Included is a printable student activity sheet. This is part of a larger collection of lessons, all of which are aligned to AAAS Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy.

Editor's Note:Education research indicates that children in upper elementary grades tend to interpret phenomena by considering qualities of parts, rather than looking at how things interact. This lesson is designed to introduce simple machines as systems, a context to help kids understand interactions.

NSES Content Standards

Units (1)

This is Part 1 of a two-part multimedia unit on systems, approached from the framework of simple machines. It was developed to address the misconception of a machine as a collection of separate things. Instead, it presents the simple machine as a system to reinforce the concept of interaction.

Citation Formats

<a href="http://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=6579">American Association for the Advancement of Science. Science NetLinks: Systems 1-Simple Machines. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science, January 31, 2008.</a>

Science NetLinks: Systems 1-Simple Machines. (2008, January 31). Retrieved December 9, 2016, from American Association for the Advancement of Science: http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/systems-1-simple-machines/

American Association for the Advancement of Science. Science NetLinks: Systems 1-Simple Machines. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science, January 31, 2008. http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/systems-1-simple-machines/ (accessed 9 December 2016).

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